Magical makeover chair at Parkview

SPECIAL Education Teacher Sarah Bautista and student Kathleen Ha celebrate Kathleen’s new Harry Potter inspired wheelchair costume (GGUSD photo).

Parkview Elementary School fifth grade student Kathleen Ha received a magical wheelchair makeover during a school-wide celebration last week.  Her new Harry Potter inspired wheelchair costume was designed by Magic Wheelchair, a non-profit organization whose volunteers build epic costumes for children in wheelchairs.

The designers of Kathleen’s wheelchair costume have experience working in Hollywood on the sets of famous movies and put a lot of care into building a creation that she would like.  Parkview students and staff cheered for Kathleen as the Magic Wheelchair volunteers revealed their $1,700 wheelchair costume, complete with make-believe creatures straight from Hogwarts  including an Occamy, Gryffindor, and glow in the dark paint.  Kathleen also received a sorting hat, robe, and wand to make her Halloween costume complete.

Parkview Resource Specialist Teacher Sarah Bautista nominated Kathleen for the wheelchair transformation.  Bautista has taught Kathleen since kindergarten and said she performs at the top of her class and always has a positive attitude.  Despite an orthopedic impairment, Kathleen uses her feet to write and draw.

“This story shows how much our teachers care about their students and treat them like family,” said GGUSD Board of Education President Lan Nguyen.  “I am so proud to serve in a school district where teachers demonstrate such a high level of passion for what they do.”